Speaking attachment for telephones



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. ELDREDGE. SPEAKING ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONES. No. 479,062. Patented July 19, 1892.

"S J S WITHEEEEEI 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

D. ELDREDGE. SPEAKING ATTACHMENT FOR TBLEPHONES. No. 479,062.

Patented July 19, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL ELDREDGE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPEAKING ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,062, dated July 19, 1892. Application filed February 26, 1892. Serial No. 422,843. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL ELDREDGE, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Speaking Attachments for Telephones, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Telephones as now commonly put up are mounted on a back board, which is secured to a wall of a room, or perhaps more frequently are contained in small closets.

In banks and other places where valuables are more or less accessible it may so happen that the sole attendant in the bank may be called to the telephone, and while engaged in conversation, with his back turned toward the counting-room, evil-disposed persons may take advantage of the opportunity and steal. The advantage given to such evil-disposed persons is of course greater when the telephones are placed in closets.

This invention has for its object to provide a speaking attachment for telephones, whereby a person who is engaged in conversation at a telephone may stand facing his desk or office, or both, either with his side orback to the telephone.

In accordance with this invention the speaking-tube, which may, and preferably will, be flexible, is provided at one end with a suitable end piece adapted to abut against the face of the telephone-transmitter, completely inelosing the speaking-orifice or mouthpiece thereof, and at the opposite end of said speaking-tube a mouthpiece is provided.

A suitable retaining device or clamp is provided for holding the end piece of thespeakingtube firmly against the face of the telephonetransmitter. The speakingtube is made quite longsay four feet, for instance-and the outer end thereof is supported in such a manner as to obviate the necessity of holding it while engaged in conversation, and such support is made to turn on a vertical axis, so that it may be swung into position to bring the mouthpiece at an angle with relation to the face of the transmitter, and said mouth piece is also made vertically adjustable to accommodate people of different height. The

pivoted support for the outer end of the speaking-tube is herein represented as the closet-door, so that the desired object of the invention may be carried out.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a telephone provided with a speaking attachment embodying this invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged front view of the end piece and retaining device which holds it abutted against the face of the transmitter; Fig. 3, a right-hand side view of the end piece and retaining device shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the end piece and retaining device shown in Fig. 3, taken on the dotted line; and Figs. 5 and 6, side and front views of the adjusting device for the mouthpiece.

The telephon e-transmitter A, secu red to the back board, which provides a stationary support for it, the magneto-bell and generator, and the receiving-telephone hung on the gravity-switch and connected by long flexible wires are all as usual.

A speaking-tube a, herein represented as flexible, although for purposesherein designed it maybe made rigid and provided with suitable elbow-joints, is provided at one end with an end piece, herein represented as a metallic shell-like chamber I), having an opening in one side of it which receives a cap 0. The cap 0 of the end piece is intended to abut against the face of the transmitter, completely inclosing the speaking-orifice or mouthpiece thereof, and to provide against leakage a rubber pad (Z is placed upon or secured to the cap 0, it having a hole (1 through it. This pad is for convenience placed on the cap 0; but it may be made as a Washer secured to the face of the transmitter and surrounding the speaking-orifice thereof.

The means herein shown for holding the end piece with the cushioned cap 0 firmly abutted against the face of the transmitter consists of a plate 0, having a hole through it of suitable size to snugly receive the cap 0 with the pad (Z thereon, and to each side of the plate e a rod or bar is secured, having at its ends spring-acting fingers c, which are adapted to embrace the upperand lower edges of the face of the transmitter; but while this form of retaining device is simple to make and presents a sightly appearance any other IOC suitable form of retaining device may be employed. It will be seen that the edge of the rubber pad (1, which overlaps the end of the cap 0, serves as a packing between said cap and the edge of the hole in the platee to prevent leakage at such point.

At the opposite end of the speaking-tube a a metallic shell-like chamberf is secured, to one side of which a mouthpiece f is attached, or said mouthpiece f may be secured to the tube and the chamberf omitted.

The tube Ct is herein represented as supported on hooks h, which are secured to a door B, hinged to any suitable fixed support; but it is obvious that said tube may be supported in any other suitable way and to any other suitable support.

The mouthpiece of the speaking-tube is held by a suitable support, by means of which it may be vertically adjusted to accommodate people of different height, and while many forms of adjustable supports may be employed the form shown in Fig. 5 fulfills the requirements. This adjusting device consists of a longitudinally-extensible yoke '6, to the ends of the arms of which a cord t" is connected, looped at a point between its ends, to encircle the shellf, the cord being drawn taut by longitudinal adjustment of the yoke, and when so drawn taut it will hold the shellfat any point between the arms thereof at which said shell may be placed, thereby forming a fiddle-stick adjusting device. Suppose the door B to be the closet-door. It will be seen that when said door is open the mouthpiece will be swung into position at an angle with relation to the telephonic apparatus, and a person may stand with his side to the telephone and engage in conversation.

I claim 1.- The telephone-receiver and long flexible connections therefor and the telephonetransmitter and stationary support therefor, combined with the speaking-tube havinga mouthpieceatoneendandanendpieceattheopposite end and adapted to abutagainst the face of said transmitter and completely inclose the speaking-orifice thereof, a retaining device for holding said end piece firmly abutted against the face of the transmitter, the support 13, swinging on a vertical axis, and an adjusting device thereon, which supports the outer end of said speaking-tube, whereby the mouthpiece may be moved at an angle with relation to the face of the transmitter and adjusted as to its height, substantially as described.

2. A telephone-transmitter and stationary support therefor, combined with a flexible speaking-tube a, having an end piece at one end, comprising the cap 0, of suitable size and shape to abut against the face of the transmitter and completelyinclose the speaking-orifice thereof, a yielding pad having a hole through it interposed between the cap and the face of the transmitter, and a retaining device for holding the cap 0 firmly abutted against the face of the transmitter, and an end piecefat the opposite or outer end of said speakingtube, provided with the mouthpiece f, and the swinging support B for said outer end of the speaking-tube, substantiallyas described.

3. A telephone-transmitter, combined with a speaking-tube having a mouthpiece at one end and an end piece at the opposite end, comprising the cap 0, the yielding pad d, interposed between said cap and the face of the transmitter, and a retaining device comprising the plate 8, having a hole through it to receive the cap 0, and spring-acting fingers e, secured to said plate, by means of which it is held in position on the transmitter, and a packing-ring interposed between the cap 0 and the edge of the hole of the plate e, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL ELDREDGE. W'itnesses:

BERNICE J. Novas, LUcY F. GRAVES. 

